EqD Writers Training Ground stories for Season Five from Georg.
Week 6: Slice of Life - Lyra and Bon Bon Are Just Best Friends. Honest.
Bon Bon comes clean about her past. Now it’s Lyra’s turn.
Run, Lyra. Run.
Week 5: Castle Sweet Castle - And Now A Word From Our Sponsors
The new season of My Little Pony is bringing something a little different to make Twilight Sparkle’s new castle seem more like a home.
Product placements.
Week 4: Phineas and Ferb Tribute - Gummy the Gator - Secret Agent of O.W.A.C.A.
When Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie return to Ponyville to tell Twilight Sparkle all about their trip, they each have a somewhat odd idea of what Gummy has been up to while they were gone. A tribute to the last episode of Phineas and Ferb, which will air June 12, 2015.
Week 3: Cheerilee's Thousand Tribute - The Ooze at the Bottom of the Bin
Once again, one of Cheerilee's dates goes horribly wrong, although she gets to meet a celebrity: The Smooze.
Week 2: Starlight Glimmer - A Matter Of Complete Trust
A villain from Twilight Sparkle’s past returns to Canterlot. It’s time for Princess Celestia to teach her a lesson about redemption and trust.
Week 1: Short Legs and Tall Tails - Braeburn tells a bedtime story to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Can he keep his natural instincts for telling tall tales in check?
Editors: Tek
First comment reserved for author notes. Here we go again, much like last season's EqD Writers Training Ground where I treated you all to stories like Princess Twilight Sparkle - Mistress of the Night and that memorable tribute to Estee's 100 percent move, 50 percent fire -:- Cutting The Chord, Swinging The Hammer, and Dropping the Piano.
Well, this season promises my writing to be better, and like all promises, I plan on breaking it just as soon and as dramatically as possible. Expect new realms of oddities and typos strung together with far too many commas and dramatic gramatical errors that will confound all mankind. And womankind. And ponies too.
Hope you enjoyed Braeburn's foray into the world of youth entertainment, and are looking forward to more of the same (you masochists, you).
See you next week
An excellent tale.
Wasn't expecting Braeburn to be born in Appleoosa, though it does explain his sometimes overwhelming civic pride.
5953984 I'm not positive about it, but I believe Appleoosa was just founded a year ago, so Braeburn seems to be pulling *somepony's* leg on at least one topic.
So, Braeburn is the Pony-version of Captain Bluebear...
...that somehow makes sense.
An Imaginary Conversation:
Luna: "Celestia is starting to ask questions. Would you be offended if I told her about us?"
Braeburn: "That we're a mite closer friends than she knows, you mean?"
Luna: "She might start hearing wedding bells. That happens, sometimes."
Braeburn: "Ah won't have to be a prince, will I?"
Luna: I think I can bring back the title of "Consort."
Braeburn: "Uh ...Let me think on that. 'Prince' might be better. Any of that wine left?"
Be cautious when playing games with alicorns, for they wrote the rules.
5975338
Well fine author, it seems you have confuzzled my feelings. I am sad, happy, alight with delight, and not just a bit melancholic. Well played!
5975338
Very, very true.
I happen to like Starlight Glimmer as an antagonist, in the show and how you've depicted her. I like how you have her exceeding her grasp and falling. It is gratifying that Celestia trusts Twilight. You have her wishing she could trust everyone but knowing that it is her weakness/blind spot, she trusts Twilight cover it.
Edit: Another reason I like her character so much is that she is a dark mirror to Twilight, alike in some ways but, in a way, corrupted.
I hadn't made a connection between the bottles holding cutie marks and lightning, but in hindsight, it seems obvious. Both contain a potent energy that acts out the moment it's released. Why wouldn't they be the same container?
Alas for Starlight. Maybe in a few centuries. Maybe not. If nothing else, the social landscape will be reshaped to the point where her stance will seem archaic.
And she remained in stone FOREVER. And nobody cared. Yay!
5975338
...and they hold extra cards, where you can't see them. And have you ever noticed how Celestia smiles all the time?
That was so much fun, and a double twist of cactusfruit for garnish! Cheers!
Amazing read. Well flow, strong feels, and I loved that ending. You defiently got some carrer on this site
This was just seriously fantastic. I couldn't figure out how Braeburn's story would top itself after each new development, and with all the country-styled similes, I never guessed he was telling the truth. I'm definitely reading your continued weekly stories!
I was expecting something silly and cheerful from the beginning, but man, I didn't see the twist coming for a long time. And the idea that Celestia is weary and considers herself a failure was executed so well. Maybe the change between those moments was jarring, but it was definitely exciting. Good job, and I can't wait to read the next one!
Yes, Dusty Bins is quite the recycler, and no, that suit is not from the funeral home.
It's rented.
5981826
She wasn't smiling when Chrysalis was blasting her in the head. Or when Tirek broke down her doors.
Ah, yes, Universe Nine-Two-Kappa. One of the more popular ones for the hungry worldwalker.
Is it wrong that I want to ship Dusty Bins's smell and Foul Ole Ron's Smell?
The Smooze is a magical slime mold? Sounds reasonable.
A most amusing story. I really do need to hunker down and read Cheerilee's Thousand at some point.
6004952
...alright, almost all the time, then.
Meadowsweet leaned against the wall and rubbed her aching hooves. She’d been on them for hours. “What’s with everypony tonight? So many special requests…”
“Did you really have to reseat that whole party of twelve?” Cloudhopper said as he loaded up his serving tray again.
“Ugh. Don’t remind me.” Meadowsweet switched hooves and started massaging again. “They kept complaining about the smell.”
Skillet poked his head out from behind a wall of tickets. “You gonna take these plates or what, Meadow? They’re gonna get cold.”
“Keep your mane on. I just need a minute.” Meadowsweet pushed herself up from the wall, groaning when all four hooves hit the unforgivingly solid tile floor once again. “It’s a warzone out there.”
“Oh, you think you got it rough?” Skillet replied, his jaw jutting forward. “Try workin’—”
“All day over a hot stove. Yeah, yeah. We get it, Skillet.” Cloudhopper set his hoof against the cook’s forehead and pushed the scowling face back through the tickets. “Go growl at the spoons or something.”
Meadowsweet let out a heavy sigh. “He’s right, though. I need to get these to the tables if I want to make any bits.”
“I know I’m right,” Skillet’s gravelly voice said from the cramped kitchen.
“Shut up, Skillet,” Meadow replied. Both she and Cloudhopper grinned at each other as the gravelly voice trailed off into muttered curses.
Cloudhopper hefted his tray up again. “With all the customers tonight, I’d think you’d be rolling in tips.”
“You’d think, but you’d be wrong.” Meadow slid two plates onto her tray and lifted it into position. “Everypony’s cranky because of the smell. Then there’s the whole Slime Monster incident. Management had to comp at least eight meals right then and there.”
Cloudhopper leaned in close and lowered his voice. “I hate to say it, but I wish Cheerilee would just stay home.”
Meadowsweet nodded reluctantly. “She’s so nice, but that slimy thing didn’t even leave a five percent tip after all that!”
Kicking open the swinging door that led back into the restaurant’s dining floor, Cloudhopper glanced back over his shoulder. “Well, you know what they say. ‘You Smooze, you lose.’”
Oh daaamn. Kind of saw it coming, but was hoping it wouldn't.
That last line of dialogue puts this story firmly into the "TMI!!!" category
One of those simple ideas that can sprawl into something epic with the right execution.
Chicken Man!! He's everywhere, he's everywhere!
(Yeah, I show my age with my references sometimes)
Georg, I'm disappointed. That clearly should have been Doctor Hoofenschmirtz.
6030320 (click) (click) (click) There we go. Heck, I missed that one totally. Nice catch.
Well, it seems somepony forgot the secret shelf in her old library. To say nothing of the all-purpose Flower Trio bunker.
Most amusing. I'd love to see that costume for Owloysius.
6030352
Amusingly, Gummy the gator fits with the O.W.A.C.A naming scheme.
I tried to wedge in soap and Neighzima face cream spots, but I couldn't find a place to make them fit.
Conchita and her monkey, Juan Valdez are provided on loan from the fine ponies who provide Columburroian coffee for the sleep-deprived masses. You make a fine cup.
Also please take time this week to see about adopting a shelter pegasus of your own. Ask about our free spaying and neutering program.
Saint's and proxies... The horror... The horror...
Try Horror Hugo's Hefty Garbage Bags today! They seal in the most vile scents and are pointy-unicorn horn proof against punctures!
Well, that was horrifying on several levels.
Twilight may want to renegotiate, possibly with the aid of contract lawyers from the fine offices of Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe, a plausibly deniable subsidiary of Flimflam Incorporated.
What do you mean I wasn't supposed to read that last part?
6006375
Oooh, a commentfic!
Are you interested in this being added to "Never The Final Word"? (Talk to "Horizon" about that...)
In my most critical, uppity-scrunching, clinical, nitty-picky, buggery analysis; this chapter is
A most informative and verily a decisive opinion this must be. *sagacious nod, before getting bonked*
A rather odd mission, given that all the magical prodigies go to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
6108949 Picky, picky, fixed. sigh. Thanks.
6108954
I mean, she already had drones covering the schools for Remarkable Unicorns, Outstanding Unicorns, Overachieving Unicorns, Better-Than-Average Unicorns...
6108984 Trixie was in Celestia's School for Very Special Unicorns, wasn't she?
Frankly, I was unaware of the 'Bonbon is a Changeling' meme, so this story doesn't really strike the buttons that it is intended to with me. I could point out some narrative inconsistencies but that would be missing the point wouldn't it? It's meant to be a funny parody of a prevalent fan-meme and should be judged on that, something that I feel ill-qualified to do.
I did like that crack about Lyra being the only one of Chryssie's three-hundred-plus daughters to enter a stable relationship.
Trying to put Twilight on decaf = suicide
Ah yes, the BEST FRIENDS. Somepony's in denial in that relationship; it's largely a matter of who.
That, or Bon Bon felt she couldn't have romantic ties while hiding the truth.
Don't let the bed bugs bite?
Yeah, I know it's late. So?
6154676
So thank you!
I knew where this was going, but it was still quite amusing, to say nothing of the fun world-building. Also, I have to assume that the librarian's name is Phil.
Oh God.
I may have to pay homage to this, if that's okay with you.
Is this in reference to her cutie Mark, or to the "lion and cheesegrater" position mentioned in Lysistrata?
6264100 fine with me. Take that ball and run with it.
6264113
More like a reference to Changeling leg holes.
6295752
Hmm, I suppose it could be, but then I'd expect it to be a Swiss Cheese ref.
ponybot.net/pix/3035.jpg